Minced Beef and Onion Pie with Guinness By Tom Aikens

I love this dish, it’s so unctuous and simple. We used to have
something similar at school, but I have added the Guinness®
to give it more depth of flavour.

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to
   200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6
   
   Place a large casserole pan on to a high heat with the oil, once it is hot
   slowly add the mince (not all at once as it could splash), wait 4–5
   minutes until you move the mince around and it starts to colour around
   the edges, otherwise it will cool the pan down and the mince will not
   colour. Tap the mince to break it down and add half the salt and pepper,
   cook until golden brown for 8–10 minutes.
   Once coloured, drain the mince into a colander, keeping all the oil
   that is drained off, then add this back to the pan, place the pan back
   on to a low–medium heat adding the butter. Once it has melted add
   the diced onion, thyme, sugar and remaining salt and pepper. Cook on
   a medium heat for 10–12 minutes until the onion is golden brown and
   caramelised, stirring the onion to get all the sediment off the bottom of
   the pan. While this is cooking, take the pastry out of the fridge and roll it
   out on a floured surface to a 0.5cm thickness and then leave this to
   rest in the fridge.
   Add the meat back to the pan with the onion, mixing it well together
   and sprinkle in the flour. Cook out for 1 minute, then add the stock and
   Guinness® a little at a time stirring well. Once all this has been incorporated
   turn the heat up so the mince comes to a slow simmer. Stirring all the
   time, simmer for 10 minutes until it thickens and reduces slightly, stirring
   occasionally. Turn off the heat and tip this into a shallow metal tray
   to cool. Once cool place the mince into your pie dish and place on
   the pastry, crimp the edges around the dish and egg wash the top and
   edges, bake in the oven for 30 minutes.